Do you need a personal trainer

A personal trainer in Toronto FINALLY GETS TO THE POINT

Okay, here we are. DO YOU NEED A PERSONAL TRAINER OR NOT??? I have come to feel a little like Sarah Jessica Parker writing this trio of blog posts… Anyhow, this is it. Let’s get right to it.

A personal trainer in Toronto gives a really frustrating answer

The answer is: maybe. There are a lot of things to consider. Do you have an underlying health condition that means technique for you is of supreme importance? Osteoporosis? Hypermobility? The list could be very long. But if you DO have an underlying health condition that means technique is paramount then yes, you really should consider getting a personal trainer.

Now my caveat to that answer though is that technique is of supreme importance period, full stop. I would argue, as a fitness professional and former athlete that technique is the difference between “maybe okay” and “amazing”. The hard truth is that if you’re injured you are not going to be reaching your fitness goals. And even if you are exercising consistently, if you are using poor technique over years and years you may be “getting into shape” but in some crucial ways you are also slowly degrading your joints, ligaments and tendons.

Something that a lot of people do not understand is the idea of “bad backs” or “bad knees”. Yes, there can be particular instances or moments that bring about a “bad back” but more often than not it’s more a case of simply not using our backs (or more precisely our hips and glutes) properly over the course of our lives. A good personal trainer can address these issues so you have a much better chance of not developing those kinds of issues. Mobility discrepancies also play a key role in how well our bodies age and again, a good personal trainer will spot those as you work together in your local Toronto gym and help you gain much needed movement capacity. This to me is infinitely worthwhile.

A personal trainer in Toronto talks motivation and consistency

Motivation and consistency are keys to getting the most you can out of the gym and your workouts. Whether it be simply showing up or the work you do while you are there, a personal trainer helps immeasurably with both.

So, if you are super disciplined and motivated then awesome, you do not need a personal trainer for those reasons. If however you struggle to motivate yourself to move, then a personal trainer could be just the thing to help get you in the gym AND make the most of your fitness while you are there.

A personal trainer in Toronto talks programming

Programming: what you are doing each day you train in the gym and the order in which you do it. This may not seem like that big a deal but it can be the difference between “okay, not bad” and “top of your game”. The best personal trainers in Toronto will will program things in such a way that you get the most out of everything that you do, propelling your fitness and strength forward. And if you are going to be in the gym, you might as well be getting the absolute most out of all of your workouts.

Again, this is something you can definitely teach yourself but I would advise reading and watching a lot of content if you really want to get a solid sense as to how everything fits together. As with everything we’ve been discussing the best personal trainers in Toronto have been at this for years and the nuance of their approach cannot be replicated by a noob. There’s just too much info they have from years of programming themselves and others. It’s like the difference between knowledge and wisdom. The best personal trainers in Toronto have a wisdom about their work that is hard to replicate.

A personal trainer in Toronto sums it all up

You can do it. You really really can. And I can’t stress enough: if you are getting out there and moving and working in gyms all around Toronto, concerned about your fitness and overall well-being I absolutely applaud you. And yes, you can do this on your own.

As a personal trainer here in Toronto, working in gyms and seeing everyone doing their best for their fitness, I can also say that a little help wouldn’t hurt. There are people out there who have built their lives around this stuff and getting their knowledge and attention can dramatically up your game.

If you have underlying health conditions that mean you need unique considerations I would suggest hiring a personal trainer.

The best advice I can give really, is to even simply hire a personal trainer for a few sessions. A few sessions, with specific goals can really take you to a whole other level and help to ensure that what you are doing is safe and effective. I completely understand that personal training can be really expensive. A few sessions here and there can still go a long way with a top personal trainer and your fitness will be the better for it.

You can think of it like going to a therapist. Yes, you can read books and watch videos and that can be really great and I’ve seen people do amazing work on their own. But finding a good therapist can also be really really beneficial. Same with personal training and your fitness journey.

A personal trainer in Toronto gives you a peek at what’s next

Following up on this series, my next post (or two) will be about things to consider if going it sans personal trainer. And following that, I will be putting a post together about what to look for in a personal trainer should you choose to go that route.